The present disclosure relates generally to surface-mounted integrated circuit (IC) packages and specifically to removing unwanted flux from IC packages.
Conventional bottom termination components (BTC) packages having lands positioned along the bottom surface of the BTC packages lowers the risk of damage to the lands as compared to the exposed pins, terminals, and/or wire leads of conventional packages. Further, the conventional BTC packages having lands positioned along the bottom surface of the BTC packages also enables an increased PCB design density where an increased quantity of BTC packages may be positioned on a single PCB as the BTC packages may be positioned closer together due to the BTC packages having lands positioned along the bottom surface of the BTC packages, as opposed to pins, terminals, and/or wire leads extending further out from the perimeter of conventional packages.
However, conventional BTC packages also have traits that may result in an increased amount of flux residue that remains after the conventional BTC package is mounted to the PCB. The short die to PCB path results in a decreased space between the conventional BTC package and the PCB which hinders the amount of unwanted flux residue that is flushed out from between the conventional BTC package and the PCB. The soldering of the thermal pad to the PCB results in voids that are difficult to avoid. Thus, unwanted flux residues remain after the conventional BTC package is mounted to the PCB if not addressed.
Current leakage unnecessarily drains the battery life of the system. Lower signal-to-surface insulation resistance (SIR) values indicate undesired paths for current leakage that results in unnecessary battery drain. Unwanted flux residues that remain on the conventional BTC packages after being mounted to the PCBs included in the system create opportunities for electro-chemical migration, dendritic growth, and/or corrosion and thus provides an increased opportunity of current leakage that unnecessarily drains the battery life of the battery source of the system. Thus, eliminating unwanted flux residue during the mounting of the conventional BTC package to the PCB is critical in decreasing current leakage that may unnecessarily drain the battery life of the battery source of the system.